French Country Decor

French country decor is a wonderful way to bring romance, warmth, elegance and sophistication to your home.

French country decor is now one of the most popular forms of decorating and you can easily introduce this romantic look to your home.

It need not be expensive or difficult, and you don’t have to go out and purchase lots of new furniture. You can gradually introduce touches for your French decor without having to change your whole room.

It is a style so familiar of the wonderful Provencal area of the South of France. The colours depict the country style with wonderful golden yellows, deep reds, French blues and fresh green tones. Provence is vibrant with colour and this is one of it's addictive charms.

Whether you want a country decor look or more of a French European look there are many ways to capture this French look in your home.

Of course the most captivating room in a French country home has to be the kitchen. It is the  hub of the house and serves as the social gathering point for the most wonderfully good French food!

You can easily transform your kitchen into the warm and welcoming  charms of a French provincial style kitchen with it's sunny and homely feel. It's a timeless look  emphasizing taste and comfort rather than the latest trend.

French country furniture has a distinctive rustic look and can be found either as dark wood or in a light pine wood. They are  usually indigenous woods like cherry, walnut and pine bringing natural warmth into the home.

Quite often there is a mix match of different types furniture pieces yet all complementing each other with their warmth and character. This is one of the most loved characteristics of French country decor.

How To Get The French Country Decor Look For Your Home

The first thing to think about are the colours. The Provencal colours are warm with lots of sunny yellow tones, gold and mustard shades, mixed in with gorgeous blues and greens.

The kitchens are usually small, even quite small at times unless they are large farmhouse kitchens. However the furniture is always of good quality, old, functional and earthy.

Walls are usually painted in light colours such as creams or pale mellow tones of butter. They are usually rough textured with a worn aged look.

Floors are of hard wearing good quality terracota tiles or wooden with well worn signs of aging.

You can achieve this look by simply painting a few pieces of furniture in a distressed worn look and adding a few accessories in Provencal colors here and there to bring this look to life.

One of my favourite paints to achieve this look is chalk paint and my favourite one is by Annie Sloan - if you go over to the website you can see how she achieves this great look.

An old table can be given a weathered look or covered with colourful table linens such as table cloths in typical Provencal patterns, red and blue gingham check, or by using an elegant table runner in a fabulous French fabric.

Curtains or blinds can be made or bought using fabrics such as the famous and ever popular 'toile de jouy' in colours to complement your scheme.

Accessories such as French style pottery and china can sit on shelves and pictures or prints of French culture can adorn your kitchen walls.

Kitchen cooking utensils and accessories are usually of the best quality, choosing one or two good pieces rather than many inferior ones. You can often pick up good quality pieces at garage sales or on places such as eBay and flea markets. Many French treasures such as French furniture may be found at antique markets or at auctions.

Just keep a look out for things to compliment your French style such as wrought iron accessories, marble and terracotta, copper cooking pots and cast iron casserole pans.

Flowers, particularly lavender and geraniums can sit on your windowsill with a few pots of French herbs. Why not continue with the French look in your garden too by introducing herbs along with more pots of lavender and geraniums to make your own French garden. So pretty and of course you will have your very own herbs for your cooking.

Roosters are a favorite and are found just about everywhere  including salt and pepper pots and ornaments. Of course anything with grapes, wine, olives or vineyards will definitely give your kitchen the country French look.

These are just a few ideas on how to achieve your French decor but above all remember the emphasis is on casual and welcoming which is at the heart of all French country décor. It can be a project of love simply by adding and changing your style until you have the look you want.